Restart Malfunction - HoneyMustard

Chapter 2 - Opposite Ends

Notes:
- May contain swearing
- 2244 words

Setting: Underswap
Trigger Warnings: //
__________________

"I'll keep an eye on the machine 'dyne if anything spikes I'll let ya know, okay? Cool, see ya"
The phone call was hung up and the cell was shoved back into the hoodie pocket of the wearer. Resuming their cigarette, the monster proceeded forward, trudging through the snow in their bright orange high tops.

"Oh, Papyrus" A voice sang.
The tall skeleton looked over his shoulder as he blew out a puff of smoke, stopping his pace as he looked to whoever was calling him. A small smirk was shown as he turned to face the spider in the café doorway. Papyrus nodded his head to her.
"Muffet"
"Been a while since you've tried my pastries dearie, you're my favourite customer too. Don't say you've found another bakery?" She giggled. Papyrus chuckled and shook his head.
"No other bakery could compare, Miss Muffet. And I'll drop by tonight, just been busy lately" He explained. Muffet smiled comfortingly and nodded to him, pushing herself off of the open doorway with two of her limbs, keeping one pair crossed and the other two smoothing out her apron.
"I'll keep a batch of doughnuts behind the counter for you, tell Sans I said hello too, won't you dearie?"
"Sure thing Muffet, see you" Papyrus responded, giving a joking salute as Muffet closed the door and presumably resumed to sell her morning treats. Papyrus blew out another puff as he looked down at the bags around his bony wrists, scanning the shopping list he held. The dim, orange glow of his cigarette letting him see the scrawled writing clearer.

Papyrus was on shopping duty this week, and he had collected almost everything he needed from Snowdin's shops. All he had left was to pay the Librarby a visit to return a quantum physics book he had borrowed and grab some ice for the fridge from the dogs up North.
The skeleton once more shoved the list, and his hand, into his orange hoodie pocket before heading to the Librarby. Papyrus reasoned it would be best to get the ice last.
He waited a moment, finishing his smoke before stubbing it out and putting the stub into the bin nearby and entering the building. The small ding of the bell caused a few faces to look over. An elder monster wearing a mustard yellow wool jumper behind the counter peered over her reading glasses and gave Papyrus a gentle smile.
"Ah, hello Papyrus" She greeted.
"Hey there, just came to return the book," He said, taking the book out from one of the bags he was holding and handing it over the counter to the lady. She happily took the book and opened it to the first page, stamping it with a red stamp on the counter and walked around it, heading to the shelves to put it back.
"Did it do you well?" She asked.
"Learned a bit more, yeah. Thanks" Papyrus chuckled.
"Are you planning to take out another?"
"Maybe later, I'm all good for now though" The librarbarian nodded, going back over to the counter and resuming what she was doing before Papyrus had walked in. Papyrus waved goodbye and nodded to those sitting at the table before exiting the shop. He backtracked for a moment, travelling North and stopping by the old wooden house, saying hello to the working dog and grabbing what he needed before walking south once more.

"Sans, I'm home!" Papyrus called as he entered the house, shutting the door behind him.
"Welcome home, brother!" Sans yelled from the kitchen. Papyrus smiled a little to himself as he headed to the shorter skeleton to put the groceries away. 
"Thanks for getting everything Paps" Sans smiled.
"It's the least I can do, bro" Papyrus chuckled. "How about we go to Muffet's for dinner?"
"It's so...sticky there though!" 
"C'mon, speaking of which - she said hello,"
"...Okay, we can go, but tomorrow night, I'm making tacos!"
"Sure thing" Papyrus laughed. Sans happily grinned up at him, jumping for a moment. 
"I'll go upstairs and get dressed,"
"Sure thing, I'm gonna go out for a few minutes, I'll meet you outside of Muffet's," Papyrus called after him as Sans ran up the stairs. His brothers energy and enthusiastic nature always left Papyrus confused - he got tired just watching Sans be energetic. He didn't really mind, as long as Sans was okay, that's all that mattered to him. The orange-clad skeleton once more exited the house, and shuffled around to the back of it, opening his workshop and locking the door behind him. He let out a sigh as he turned to the machine that he and Undyne had taken a few years to repair. They managed to figure out the old symbols and writings of the last scientist and programmed the old thing to monitor timelines and space.
One glance at the readings on the monitor, however, caused Papyrus' soul to skip a beat.
The spikes in numbers were more than ever recorded. Papyrus fumbled in his pocket, hands frantic as he quickly flipped the phone open and shakily dialled Undyne's number, pulling the phone up to his skull and mumbling for her to pick up. It only rang a few times, but the seconds felt like hours.
"Papyrus? H..hi. Is everything oka-"
"'Dyne, the machine's out of control"
"W..What?!" Came the rushed reply, a metal clatter was heard from Undyne's end of the phone. Papyrus took a breath, his breathing becoming faster as he leant down, one shaky hand on the side of the machine as he eyed the monitor closely, his other hand almost dropping the phone.
"I...I don't know, I just came back here to check if everything was okay and the numbers are completely off the chart! There's been a huge fluctuation in the timeline, but nothing has changed that I've noticed or felt at all. Our numbers within the timeline are the same, but the area in space around us have completely skyrocketed!" Papyrus explained, fumbling over his words as he spoke louder.
"H...Hey! It's okay, c..calm down Paps, We'll f..f...figure something out!" 
"Oh god, this hasn't happened before 'Dyne, what's going on? Can you check the cameras?" 
"Sure, j..just give me a second, I'm in the t...t..true l...lab"
"Sorry, Bad timing hu?"
"No! n..no, It's okay" Papyrus could hear the wind rushing slightly and Undyne's footsteps, she must be running to the elevator.